Preparing to Retreat

As evening fell, Hogger found Lu Yuan.

The captain of the Night Watcher's Watch looked grim, his brow furrowed and his lips pressed into a straight line.

"Come out and say it."

His tone was brief, carrying suppressed anger.

Lu Yuan followed him to a corner at the end of the corridor, where there was no one else around.

Hogger leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Tonight's cleanup is cancelled."

Lu Yuan frowned slightly.

"Why?"

"There's pressure coming from someone." Hogger's voice was low, tinged with a hint of gritted teeth. "Inside the Tower of Erudition, tutors have complained to Imperial Headquarters that we Night Watcher have 'overstepped our authority in dealing with students,' and demanded a halt to all purge operations."

"Overstepping his authority?" Lu Yuan repeated the word.

"Yes, they don't care about those students at all." Hogger's tone was angry, but even more so, helpless. "It will take at least a day for us to report, and by then, the people from Headquarters will have already arrived."

He gave a cold laugh.

"They know how to exploit loopholes in the rules."

Lu Yuan remained silent for a moment, processing this information.

When will the people from Imperial Headquarters arrive?

"Tomorrow at noon," Hogger's gaze sharpened, "After they arrive, we won't be able to get involved."

He paused, then looked at Lu Yuan.

"The three days we fought for were slashed in half."

"Who?"

Hogger simply shook his head and did not answer.

There are some things that even he cannot say.

"There's one more thing," Hogger lowered his voice even further, "We're short-handed tonight; many brothers have been reassigned elsewhere."

He glanced at Lu Yuan, his gaze meaningful.

Patrols in the outer areas will be much less frequent.

Lu Yuan understood the implied meaning.

"You mean..."

"The transfer order hasn't been lifted yet," Hogger said with a hint of uncertainty, "But if anyone wants to leave tonight, I doubt anyone will stop them."

He patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

The footsteps faded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Lu Yuan stood there, pondering his next move.

I'm leaving tonight.

We can't wait any longer.

He was about to go back to his room when he suddenly heard footsteps in the distance.

The footsteps aren't those of the Night Watcher; the rhythm is off.

Lu Yuan raised his head alertly, his gaze fixed on the depths of the corridor.

A figure is walking this way.

He wore Deep Blue robe and had a harsh expression.

It was the same person I saw during my patrol during the day.

Lu Yuan's hand rested discreetly on the Revolver at his waist.

The man seemed to notice his movement and gave a fake smile.

"Don't be nervous, I just came to say hello."

He stopped a few steps away and looked Lu Yuan up and down.

"You're the Night Watcher was seconded here?"

Lu Yuan didn't answer, he just stared at him.

The moment the Deep Study started, gray-white text appeared at the edge of my field of vision.

[Observation Target: Alchemy Department Instructor (Under Knowledge Contamination)]

[Transcendence Path: Knowledge Path]

[Status: A fellow who reaches into the Sea of Knowledge to draw water; at least his courage is commendable.]

Lu Yuan's gaze darkened slightly.

Knowledge Contamination.

The problems at the Tower of Erudition are clearly not just limited to students.

"Let me introduce myself." The man bowed slightly, his movement carrying a deliberate elegance. "Calvin Morton, Alchemy Department Instructor."

"What is it?" Lu Yuan asked calmly.

"It's nothing serious," Calvin with his smile unchanged. "I just came to check on my Night Watcher colleagues who were on secondment, to see if they needed any help."

His gaze drifted towards the corridor behind Lu Yuan, as if he were searching for something.

"I heard you're staying in the outer area? The conditions there are quite basic. How about I arrange a better room for you?"

"No need," Lu Yuan said, blocking his view. "I'm quite comfortable here."

Calvin's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

"That's good."

He paused, his tone tinged with a hint of probing.

"By the way, some Alchemy Department students have recently gone missing, and we're investigating them one by one. Have you seen anyone suspicious?"

"No."

"Really?" Calvin's gaze lingered on Lu Yuan's face for a few seconds. "I heard some students have come to the Night Watcher. I wonder if it's true."

Lu Yuan's expression remained unchanged.

I don't know.

"If anyone harbors a missing student..." Calvin's tone became meaningful, "... it's punishable according to the rules of the Tower of Erudition."

He took a document out of his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Lu Yuan.

You can take a look at Chapter Seven of the "Internal Regulations of the Tower of Erudition."

He pointed to one of them, his voice neither hurried nor slow.

"Supervisors have the right to recall students registered under their names, and no one may obstruct this process."

He raised his head and looked directly at Lu Yuan.

"Laurina Caster's academic record is still in the Alchemy Department. Her advisor is very worried about her."

Lu Yuan did not respond.

He simply took the silver medal from his pocket and held it up to Calvin.

The medal gleamed faintly in the dim light, its intricate patterns marking it as the emblem of Principal Tower of Erudition.

Calvin's expression changed instantly.

The smile faded from his face, replaced by a gloomy expression.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Lu Yuan felt an invisible pressure spreading from the other person, as if something was awakening.

He did not back down.

Because the Time Bestower by the handpiece on the chest, the hands are now moving slightly.

If Calvin dares to make even the slightest move.

Deprivation will cover his heart.

"I advise you to think this through," Lu Yuan said calmly. "This is Night Watcher's Watch territory."

As soon as he finished speaking, several doors opened at the same time.

Three stern-faced Night Watcher emerged and stood in their room's doorway, their gazes fixed coldly on Calvin.

They didn't speak, but their hands were on their weapons.

The oppressive aura emanating from Calvin gradually subsided.

He looked around, then at the medal in Lu Yuan's hand, and his expression stiffened.

"The principal's authorization... certainly carries a lot of weight."

His tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

"But the people from the Imperial Headquarters will arrive tomorrow."

He took a step back, his gaze meaningful.

"By then, the principal's medal might not be as useful."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Deep Blue robe fluttered in the corridor, and the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

His voice came from afar before he left.

"If Miss Laurina wishes to return on her own, we would be very happy to welcome her."

Lu Yuan stood there, watching the figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

The Night Watcher nodded to him, said nothing more, and went back to their rooms.

Lu Yuan turned around and quickly walked back to his room.

The moment the door opened, Laurina emerged from the corner.

Her face was somewhat pale; she had clearly overheard quite a bit while hiding behind the door.

"Calvin Morton..." she began, her voice calmer than Lu Yuan had expected, "I know him. He's the head of the Alchemy Department and also my mentor's partner."

She paused.

They often did experiments together.

Lu Yuan recalled the hint he had just received.

Knowledge Contamination.

The same thing as those students who were expelled.

"If Calvin was also involved in that experiment..." Laurina's voice was soft, "Then there are probably more than just one or two people in the Alchemy Department."

Lu Yuan remained silent.

He had a rough idea of what was happening inside the tower.

The mentor is the true source.

Students are merely experimental subjects for them.

"Leaving tonight." He looked at Laurina.

"Good."

Laurina's answer was straightforward.

Lu Yuan walked to the window and lifted a corner of the curtain.

The sky outside the window had completely darkened, the moon was obscured by clouds, and the Tower of Erudition was shrouded in darkness.

It looks like it might rain again tonight.

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze and briefly checked his equipment.

"Ready?" He turned his head.

Laurina stood by the bed, holding a small bundle in her hand, her expression calm.

"Ready."

Lu Yuan walked to the door and listened for a few seconds.

The corridor was quiet; there was no sound of footsteps.

He gently opened the door and peeked outside.

The corridor was empty, with the magic lamp casting a dim glow and swaying shadows on the walls.

"Walk."

He said in a low voice and walked out of the room first.

Laurina followed closely behind him, her footsteps light and almost silent.

The two walked briskly along the corridor, heading towards the exit of the outer area.

Night fell over the Tower of Erudition.

The Night Watcher aren't the problem; the real trouble lies with the Alchemy Department.

Calvin will not give up easily.

Lu Yuan's gaze swept across every corner of the corridor, wary of any Deep Blue figure that might appear.

He didn't know if he would be able to leave smoothly tonight.

But there is no better time now.

The corridor was dark.

The light of the magic lamp seemed to have been partially swallowed by something, leaving only a faint, eerie blue that barely illuminated the path beneath our feet.

Lu Yuan walked ahead, his steps quick.

Laurina followed closely behind him, clutching the silver medal in her hand.

The two walked briskly along the corridor, heading towards the outer exit.

As they turned a corner, they came face to face with a patrol of Night Watcher.

Lu Yuan paused slightly.

But the Night Watcher only glanced at them, then looked away and walked past without stopping.

It was as if I hadn't seen anything at all.

He continued walking, his gaze sweeping across both sides of the corridor.

Then he noticed something.

Not just them.

Not far ahead, another Night Watcher was leading two young students at a brisk pace.

Further away, another Night Watcher's figure flashed by and disappeared, accompanied by a boy in a school robe.

Footsteps echoed in the darkness, but no one spoke.

Everyone was walking in the same direction.

It turns out it wasn't just Laurina tonight.

The Night Watcher is conducting a large-scale evacuation of the "target".

Those students who might have been targeted by their advisors, those who knew too much, were all quietly taken away that night.

So this is what Hogger meant by "insufficient manpower".